No Shirt, No Shoes, No Problem......

After the winter-weather Montana trip, we were looking for a trip destination with a preview of summer weather. Something like 80 degree highs with 70 degree lows. What better than the southern most city in the U.S., Key West?
We started our island hopping trip with an overnight visit with Abi. Then we flew from Savannah to Ft. Lauderdale. We drove from there with overnight stops in Islamorada,Key West, Key Largo and back in Ft. Lauderdale. After our return flight to Savannah, we drove for an overnight visit with Logan before returning home.
Be sure to check out Allegiant Airline. We enjoyed our first flight at $30.00 round trip, plus a few fees.

"Headed South"

"Decisions, Decisions"

"You know you're at the end of the road"

"Sunset from Mallory Square"

"A one-man band, one of the many entertainers that come out at sunset on Mallory Square in Key West"

"A Peaceful beach on Islamorada"

"Lazy Daz restaurant was a good place to sit and enjoy the view"

"Lobster Traps at rest till season opening in August"

"We saw lots of sea life at Molasses Reef"

"Lots of Divers and Snorklers at the Reef"

"These fishermen didn't reel fast enough to avoid the sharks"

"Logan showing off his teeth"

"We can always get a cute smile from Abi"

SOLD!

Play Dough was sold, had a name change and was moved 350 miles down the TN River all in just a few weeks time. It was almost exactly 3 years to the date from the purchase of the boat in 2008 to the selling process in 2011. Once we got an offer and did a little negotiating, the buyer had his surveyor doing a sea trial and inspection on Jan. 14th. On Jan. 19th, we got good lab reports on the oil samples and the buyer had accepted the boat the following day. We were on the boat for the last time on Jan. 26th to remove our personal items. The new owners were very eager to attain the boat and they planned to spend their first night aboard on the 28th.
We really enjoyed the adventures we had aboard Play Dough and will always remember the places we visited and the people we met along the way. We feel very fortunate to have been able to live out one of our dreams!
Now as we move on to other travels and adventures, we will continue to add to our blog and we invite you to follow us along the journey!

Baby Sitting Job in Montana

Adam, Heather and Abi were headed to Whitefish, Montana for a ski trip and asked if we wanted to go along. Of course we did! We were all concerned about how Abi would handle the airplane flights, but she did great! She even earned a set of wings from one of the flight attendants.

The weather was excellent for sitting in the condo with Abi and watching her Barney DVD, while Adam and Heather carved up Big Mountain on their skis. The lowest temperature we had was 9 degrees and snow totals for the season reached 100 inches while we were there. The scenery was spectacular. We enjoyed a sleigh ride and toured into Glacier National Park while we were there. Montana is a beautiful state!

"Abi was the cutest one on the slopes in her snowsuit!"

"Heather and Adam ready for the slopes"

"The ski lodge at our resort on Big Mountain-you can see many of the ski runs in the background"

"Enjoying hot chocolate in the ski lodge"

"You can see the ski slopes on Big Mountain from this street in downtown Whitefish."

"It was snowing when we loaded up for our sleigh ride!"

"Dave, the driver, takes us down a beautiful snowy lane on our sleigh ride"

"Dog Sled Tours just a phone call away"

"Abi didn't mind the cold weather at all"

"Taking snow removal to new heights"

"The layers from each snowfall are like the growth rings of a tree."

White Christmas @ Grandmother's House (Almost)

Actually the snowfall started about 4:00 am on Dec. 26th. It continued for 12+ hours with an accumulation of 3-4 inches. We were blessed with a four day visit at our home by Abi and Logan's families prior to Christmas Eve. Even as young as they are, those two seem to really enjoy playing together. One can only imagine how wild things will be in the next few years. It's Great!! Logan is approaching 9 months, crawling and pulling up. Abi is 14 months old, walking and learning new words everyday, like "Gigi"!!

"The snowfall was beautiful looking out on the water"

"A beautiful White (day after) Christmas!"

"Bundled up for some outdoor playtime"

"Logan and Abi playing in the crawling tunnel"

"Abi crawls through the tunnel to her Princess Tent"



"Abi loved pushing Logan on her car, and he loved riding!"

"Daddys get to play too!"

"Gigi loves reading to her babies!"

"Enjoying Logan's wagon"

Thanksgiving with the "Grands"

Boy, we certainly had a lot to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. We enjoyed our first Thanksgiving with both Abi and Logan. Watching them playing together was priceless. We were fortunate to be able to spend some time with all eight of our family members. It's just unbelievable how adorable those grandchildren are and how quickly they grow. They are continually changing. Abi is 13 months old and taking a few steps. Logan is 8 months old and trying to crawl.

"Logan enjoys getting ready for bathtime"

"Abi rides the rocking horse her Daddy received on his first Christmas"

"Abi loves her Papa Rod"

"Gigi gets some special time with Logan"

"We both had a baby to feed at mealtime"

"Abi driving the walker for Logan- they both loved this"

Test Cruise

We recently completed a four day cruise from Jacksonville, Fl to the Bahamas, stopping at Freeport and Nassau. After experiencing the most expensive suite on the ship during the Alaska Cruise (remember we got a free upgrade), this cruise was a test. We wondered how the cheapest cabin at the bottom of a ship would compare. Our accomodations moved from the highest deck to the lowest deck for passengers. However, we did splurge ($60) for a cabin with a window. We did notice a bit more noise from the crew's activities one deck below us as well as a slight bit of engine vibrations. We did miss the extra space and sitting area in the suite. While the food and entertainment were comparable there was a definite difference in the service and the clientel.
Considering the overall experience and what it cost, we still considered it a good value. While we'll still go on some nicer cruises, we will do some of these quick cruises, especially since they are an easy driving distance and we have discovered how to get an even better rate. "When it's cheaper than staying at home, you can't afford not to go!"

"Pool area on the ship"

"Tankers unloading fuel in Freeport"

"House on the tip of Paradise Island"

"Starfish for sale along the dock in Nassau"

"Fuel Barge as it pulls in to refuel our ship"

"Beautiful beach at Freeport"

"A favorite spot on the ship for us-the quiet Adult Only area on the ship's stern"

Suite, Suite and Sweets

ALASKA-PART 1

What a trip!! We've just returned from a 7 day Alaska cruise onboard the Sapphire Princess. We sailed 2100 miles and visited the usual ports of Ketchikan, Juneau, and Skagway. We also had one day of cruising through the icebergs in Tracy Arm Fjord up to the Sawyer Glacier. Our final port before returning to Seattle, was Victoria, British Columbia.

A word about the title of this blog entry. After arriving at the Hyatt in seattle prior to the cruise, the staff discovered it was our anniversary. We were moved to a suite complete with champagne and chocolates. Two days prior to leaving home, our travel agent had called to say she'd received notice from Princess that we had been upgraded from our mini-suite to the Cozumel suite. This was not just any suite, but one of only five located on the ship. What a luxury it turned out to be!. We were on the forward port side just beneath the bridge with a 45 ft. balcony that wrapped around that corner of the ship. This suite also came with champagne and chocolate covered strawberries, a stocked fridge, fresh fruit daily, fresh flowers and other privileges while onboard. Even a special lounge with coffee and pastries to wait for disembarkation on the final morning.

"Docked in Juneau"

"Ketchikan is an island only accessible by water or air"

"Early morning entering Tracy Arm Fjord. The water color changed to a turquoise color as we neared the glacier."

"An iceberg that had broken off Sawyer Glacier. The ice in the glacier is so dense that it creates the blue tint that you see here."

"Breakfast in our room while we enjoy the scenery in Tracy Arm"

"Sawyer Glacier- notice the melting runoff in the foreground"

"One of the many huge waterfalls"

"Salmon was available at every meal. This was at the Taste of Alaska Buffet"